Fastnets
JABA
Basil Panakis
Sun 29 Jun 2014 08:13
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38:41N 26:09W
We were becalmed yesterday (Jaba and I) just SE of
Terceira. It was tempting to go in Praia da Vitoria and wait for a couple of
days until this low goes over, but any time on the water is better. Even though
we drifted we still made a few miles. The wind came back at dusk. This morning I
reefed the main and just now reefed the G twice, we do not want to break things
on our homeward leg. No need for over 5s and 6es.
Next was the 1985 Fastnet, big publicity with that,
as Chris Searle (part of a TV series) was taking part and he was trained at
Britannia and was sailing in a Britannia boat. I was second in command in an OOD
34 as there too many skippers and not enough boats. Another failure, south of
the Needles we lost the rudder. I could see this silvery thing disappearing in
the depths while Simon was holding the tiller in his hand. The RNLI came
and towed us to Yarmouth.
Next one was the 1987, the first of many with Hope &
Glory. The owner Brian had leased the boat to Britannia so he wanted to take
part with me as skipper. What a prima donna he was. In one of the qualifying
races he refused to take over his watch. I was not going to do two watches back
to back so I told the helm steer north and we sort it out later. A keen sailor
Don was not impressed. Later during the Fastnet Race Brian and Don argued and
Brian threatened to kill Don if I did not get him off the boat. While still at
Shamrock waiting our turn to leave, we started the engine but when you put it in
gear the boat shuddered as if she was going to fall apart. Brian decided to
cancel the Race, I pleaded with him about all the effort we put in the last
2 years and any case we did not need the engine, it was a sailing Race. The
engine worked for charging the batteries so it was fine. Eventually we got
a tow half way down Southampton Water and sailed after that. We had a tow in by
a Dutch guy in Plymouth, after the Race, and a tow in Dartmouth by one of
our boats. One of the guys in another boat had a wetsuit and dived under
our boat to see what was wrong...one of our folding prop's blade had sheared
off.
In Plymouth I managed to get rid of Don before Brian
came onboard as he had spent the night ashore with his
girlfriend.
Isn't life colourful.
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